Small IslandTel Update

Just a small update on the Island Tel technical support debacle I suffered last week, and reported in detail on this page.
Other than a brief and cordial note from an account rep at Island Tel, I received no other communication from the company on my problems: no follow-up, no apology, no “how can we serve you better the next time?”. Nothing. (Should I send them a collection of Tom Peters’ books?)
Eastlink reports that they’ll be ready to serve my area “sometime in the next couple of weeks” (I should hope so, given the proliferation of their fibre-laying trucks in the neighbourhood last week!).
I got an call and email from a Qwest sales rep earlier this week trying to sell me data services. Much to my surprise, when I asked about services to PEI (which are usually missing from U.S.-based providers’ offerings), he reported that they could sell me bandwidth right now via frame relay, and in May or June via ATM. Of course they might just be reselling for the telephone company. We’ll see.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this entire episode is that just about everyone I know — and a few I’ve just met — ended up reading my tale of woe. Unprompted. Lots of people at the CBC. Lots of people in my neighbourhood, at the Farmer’s Market, and somewhere in the ether via email. Somehow, more than anything else I’ve written here, my experiences seemed to have a viral quality.
Attention Island Tel: wouldn’t it be better having people around town — your customers — talking about what great service you offer? Good service stories work virally too. I’d be happy to post anything you might offer in your defence here.
End of story.